The purpose of the study is to examine the relation between the quality of stimulation available to children in the early home environments, competence in motivational processes and subsequent cognitive ability. Previous research indicates a substantial relationship between early environment and children's performance on cognitive outcome variables like intelligence and achievement. Developmental theory (Wachs, Uzgiris, & Hunt, 1971) suggests that this observed relation may result from a sequential effect of early experience on development. More specifically, an appropriately stimulating early environment may facilitate the development. More specifically, an appropriately stimulating early environment may facilitate the development of certain basic cognitive processes which are required to achieve most learning outcomes. The proposed study involves a longitudinal investigation of relationships between environment, motivation, and IQ since motivation may mediate the relation between home environment, and IQ and since motivation may be especially amenable to environmental influence (Yarrow et al., 1973; and Flavell, 1977). The home environments of 105 children were assessed with the Caldwell HOME Inventory when they were between 6 and 12 months old. Children's competence in motivative processes was assessed through Bayley Scales administered when they were between one and two years old. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test was administered to each child at age three. A series of path analyses will be performed on the data in an effort to delineate the relation between home environment scores, cognitive process scores, and IQ. Three models of early experience will be compared in terms of their fit to the statistical data. Results will be interpreted in light of previous research and developmental theory.